Transmission of video utilizing static content information from video source

Abstract

Methods for removing redundancies in a video stream based on detection of static portions of the video stream prior to encoding of the video stream for wireless transmission. In various embodiments, the generation and buffering of a video stream having a series of video frames is monitored to detect static portions of the video stream. Static content indication data representing static portions of the video stream are communicated to a wireless access device for use in transmission of the video stream. Communication of the static content indication data may occur via a standardized communication interface and protocol. In one embodiment, static video content may be identified by ascertaining portions (e.g., windows in a rendered desktop) of a video frame buffer that are actively addressed by content generators such as software applications, a graphics processing unit, etc.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for use during generation of a video stream having a plurality of video frames, the method supporting wireless transmission of the video stream, the method comprising:
 monitoring the generation of the video stream to detect a static portion of the video stream;   generating static content indication data representing the static portion of the video stream; and   communicating the static content indication data to a wireless access device for use in wireless transmission of the video stream.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , the plurality of video frames stored in a video frame buffer, wherein monitoring the generation of the video stream to detect a static portion of the video stream comprises:
 determining a portion of the video frame buffer that is being addressed by a video source.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , the portion of the video frame is at least one window demarcated by memory addresses of the video frame buffer, wherein monitoring the generation of the video stream to detect a static portion of the video stream further comprises:
 identifying portions of the video buffer outside of the at least window as static portions of the video stream.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising identifying static portions of the at least one window. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein communicating the static content indication data to a wireless access device further comprises signaling the static content indication data through a standardized communication interface. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , signaling the static content indication data through a standardized communication interface comprises signaling through an optional channel of the communication interface. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , the wireless access device including an encoder that compresses the video stream, further comprising:
 based at least in part on the static content indication data, creating a static indication within the compressed video stream.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the video stream is a rendered video stream. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  performed by a graphics processing unit. 
     
     
         10 . A method for detecting static portions of a video stream having a plurality of video frames successively stored as content in a video frame buffer, the method supporting encoding of the video stream for receipt by a display device, comprising:
 comparing first content of the video frame buffer to second content of the video frame buffer;   based on the comparison, identifying a static portion of the first and second content;   generating static content indication data relating to the static portion of the first and second content; and   communicating the static content indication data to a wireless access device.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , the video stream a rendered video stream, the first and second content corresponding to at least of portion of first and second consecutive video frames, respectively. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein comparing first content of the video frame buffer to second content of the video frame buffer comprises comparing first and second data blocks, the first and second data blocks co-located in the first and second video frames, respectively. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , the first and second data blocks comprising macro-blocks of a video frame. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12  the first and second data blocks comprising slices of a video frame. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the first content of the video frame buffer and the second content the video frame comprise rendered video. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein communicating the static content indication data to a wireless access device comprises signaling the static content indication data through a standardized communication interface. 
     
     
         17 . An apparatus that supports static content detection in a video stream having a plurality of video frames, the apparatus comprising:
 a video frame buffer operable to store the plurality of video frames of the video stream; and   static content detection circuitry coupled to the video frame buffer, the static content detection circuitry operable to:
 monitor access to the video frame buffer to detect a static portion of the video stream; 
 generate static content indication data representing the static portion of the video stream; and 
 signal the static content indication data to a wireless access device. 
   
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the static content detection circuitry is operable to monitor access to the video frame buffer to detect a static portion of the video stream through determining a portion of the video frame buffer that is being addressed by a video source. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , the static content indication data signaled to the wireless access device through a standardized communication interface. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 17  operable as a graphics processing unit.